Many popular sports require that a participant accurately swing a bat, racket, or other elongated item of sports equipment so as to make desired contact with a ball, puck, or other projectile. Examples include the swinging of a tennis racket, a hockey stick, a lacrosse stick, a cricket bat, a baseball bat or a softball bat. For simplicity of expression, the present disclosure makes frequent reference to terms that apply to the American sport of baseball, and specifically to the swinging of baseball and/or softball bats. However, except where the context requires otherwise, it will be understood that the disclosure herein applies equally well to any sport that requires the swinging of an elongated item of sports equipment.
Generally, the improvement of an athlete's performance in a sport such as baseball or softball depends on improving hand and eye coordination, as well as toning and developing the muscles that are used when swinging the bat. In each case, playing the actual game can lead to improved performance. However, an athlete will often wish to perform specific drills and exercise that will target and develop certain skills and muscle groups more swiftly than could be expected from simply playing the game.
In particular, the muscle groups that are of primary importance when swinging a baseball or softball bat, tennis racket, etc., are the wrist, arm, and shoulder muscles, and to some degree the torso and back muscles. Some improvement can be gained in this regard simply by repeatedly swinging the bat or other sports implement, for example during batting practice. However, it is well known that an optimal approach to improving muscle strength is weight training, i.e. lifting and manipulating objects that can be varied in weight as the user's strength increases.
Therefore, athletes who wish to improve their strength as well as their stamina and coordination sometimes add weight training to their improvement regimen, in combination with aerobics, drills, and practice games. However, due to the complex motions that are executed when swinging a baseball bat, golf club, etc., it can be difficult to target the desired muscle groups using traditional weight lifting apparatus, so as to achieve the desired combination of strength and flexibility.
One approach to weight training for baseball and other “swinging” sports is to swing a weighted bat, bar, etc. in a manner that approximates the swinging of an actual bat or club, in an attempt to enhance the specific muscle groups and movement flexibilities that are primarily responsible for optimal swinging performance. However, swinging weighted clubs or bars in this manner can pose a significant risk of injury to the wrists or back, due to the high leverage and angular momentum of weight located at extended distances from the hands. Also, over-weighted bats and bars may not accurately emulate the balance and other swinging characteristics of the actual bats, rackets, or clubs that are used in the sport, and for this reason the athlete may run the risk of miss-training his or her reflexes. In addition, weight training of any kind can be time consuming and boring, such that an athlete may choose to devote his or her limited time to more enjoyable practice drills and games that sharpen reflexes and coordination, at the expense of strength training.
What is needed, therefore, is an apparatus and method for enhanced strength training of an athlete in preparation for playing a sport that requires swinging of a bat, racket, club, or other implement, whereby the strength training avoids injury and boredom, and does not unduly reduce the time available for practice drills that improve reflexes and coordination.